Biosensors, including optical biosensors, are generally known in the art and can take a variety of forms. U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,875,434 and 7,148,964 disclose photonic crystal sensors, including sensors which are incorporated or mounted to multi-well plates and similar devices. Other patent documents disclosing photonic crystal sensors include U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,118,710, 7,094,595, and 6,990,259; U.S. published patent applications 2007/0009968; 2002/0127565; 2003/0059855; 2007/0009380; and 2003/0027327.
Distributed Feedback Laser Biosensors (DFBLB) are also known in the art, see published patent application US 2009/0179637.
A third type of biosensor known in the art is referred to as a Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy sensor (SERS) as well as SERS sensors including photonic crystal-enhanced Surface Enhanced Raman (PC-SERS) sensors, see the published patent application US 2010/0085566.
It is known in the art that biosensors can be integrated with microfluidic flow channels fabricated on a substrate that is separate from the biosensor substrate, or integrated (i.e. co-fabricated) with the biosensor as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,531,786 and 7,737,392 to B. T. Cunningham and C. J. Choi, and in the publication of C. J. Choi and B. T. Cunningham, “Single-step fabrication of photonic crystal biosensors with polymer microfluidic channels by a replica molding process,” Lab-On-A-Chip, Vol. 6, p. 1373-1380, 2006. Such devices generally have a flow cross sectional area that is too small for carrying large volumes of fluid, and thus are not suitable for in-line use for applications that require substantially large volume flow rates.
Additional prior art of interest includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,289,690, 7,314,751, and US patent application publication 2009/0051913.